The Taliesin Fellowship, established in 1932, gained its first apprentice when William Wesley Peters arrived in Spring Green, Wisconsin. This nineteen-year-old student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology brought an engineering background that would underpin decades of work within the Wright organization, eventually leading to his chairmanship of both the firm and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
Formative Years
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on June 12, 1912, Peters was the son of Claire Adelaide Margedant and Frederick Romer Peters, a founding editor of the Evansville Press. He completed his foundational education at the University of Evansville before attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years. His transition to the Taliesin Fellowship marked the start of a lifelong professional commitment to Frank Lloyd Wright, whom he served as a protégé.
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Peters provided the engineering expertise necessary to realize several significant mid-century structures. He assisted with the construction of Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the Johnson Wax Administration Building in Racine. His technical oversight was critical to the laboratory tower at Johnson Wax and the structural design of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Later, he and Taliesin Associates completed the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Florida, the Kaden Tower in Kentucky, and the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.
International Work and Organizational Leadership
Beyond his domestic projects, Peters designed the Pearl Palace in Tehran, Iran, for Princess Shams Pahlavi, a project involving collaboration with Italian glass artisans from Murano. Following the death of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959, Peters assumed the role of chairman for Taliesin Associated Architects. In 1985, he took leadership of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a position he retained until his death in Madison on July 17, 1991.
Personal History
In 1935, Peters married Svetlana Hinzenberg Wright. The couple had two children, Brandoch and Daniel. In 1946, a fatal automobile accident claimed the lives of his wife and two-year-old son. Decades later, on April 12, 1970, Peters married Svetlana Alliluyeva, the daughter of Joseph Stalin who had defected to the United States in 1967. They had one daughter, Olga, before divorcing in 1973.
Fast facts
- Born: 12 June 1912, Terre Haute, Indiana
- Died: 17 July 1991, Madison
- Nationality: United States
- Education: University of Evansville; Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Key Role: Chairman, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
- Notable Project: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Second Spouse: Svetlana Alliluyeva
Questions readers ask
What was the connection between Peters and the Guggenheim Museum?
He was responsible for the structural designs of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
How long did Peters serve the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation?
He served as chairman of the foundation from 1985 until his death in 1991.
Achievements
- Trained at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Evansville
